Once Upon a Vampire's Dream
by Rosie Moriarty
Summary: Kaname Kuran finds a secret at the Ichijo mansion. A girl, a mystery he needs to unravel. But will he have time to discover what lurks within the shy, silent girl with the turquoise eyes before the most unlikely foe appears from the most unlikely of places.
1. The Turqoise Sea

Kaname Kuran, head of the Kuran family and a pureblood vampire, sat in the elegantly furnished sitting room of Asato Ichijo, the grandfather of Takuma Ichijo; one of Kaname's friends and classmates.

"I hope you don't mind me taking you away from Cross Academy for the moment, Lord Kaname," Ichio told Kaname as he sat on the blue sofa across the coffee table from Kaname.

"Of course not, Ichio," Kaname answered. "Especially when it concerns one of my classmates."

A knock sounded on the polished mahogany door.

"Enter," Ichio said.

The door swung open and a young maid came in, her blue uniform matching the blue carpets and walls of the sitting room; it was oddly disorienting. She stared at the floor and carried a silver tea tray laden with a blue and white teapot, two matching cups, cream, sugar and assorted confectionaries. She set them out on the coffee table.

When she was finished, she knelt in front of Ichio and bowed her head. "She is ready, Master," the maid said quietly.

"Very well, you may go."

The maid stood and walked over to the door. She held it open while a butler came in clad in a black suit with an unsettling blue shimmer to it, dragging a young girl behind him by the arm.

She wore a nearly transparent pink dress whose thin straps nearly fell off her thin shoulders. She didn't have any shoes and her long, silver hair was tangled about her face. Yet what Kaname found most striking, and a little disconcerting, about the girl was her eyes. They were a beautiful turquoise and were completely emotionless, as if they belonged to a blank slate.

The butler bowed to Ichio and then proceeded to drag the girl over to Kaname.

"For you, Lord Kaname," Ichio said with false sincerity. "You must keep up your strength. Living on blood tablets at that Academy must be difficult."

Kaname smiled politely. "Thank you for your concern, but tea will be just fine."

Ichio pursed his lips in disapproval. "Very well, Lord Kaname," he said, snapping his fingers. The butler bowed again and left the room with the girl.

Ichio leaned back against the sofa and crossed his arms. "As you know, I only allow Takuma to attend that Academy because you're there, Lord Kaname. My only concern is that the finer points of Takuma's education will be lost between the cracks, so to speak. That is why I ask your permission to have Takuma work on a small project for me. If you're willing, of course."

Kaname inclined his head toward Ichio. "Of course. I see no problem." Yet, anyway. Ichio most likely had a scheme against Kaname up his sleeve, but Kaname would let things fold out for now. It was all part of the greater scheme of things.

Ichio smiled a curt smile. "Thank you, Lord Kaname. I will inform Takuma of the arrangements this evening."

Just then, another knock sounded on the door.

Ichio looked mildly irritated. "Enter."

The same butler as before opened the door and walked in. He bowed to Ichio. "Master Ichio, an urgent message has come from the Senate. Several Hunter were seen near the Council building."

Ichio nodded, dismissing the butler and turned back to Kaname. "My apologies, Lord Kaname. It seems I have an urgent matter to attend to."

Kaname stood and grabbed his overcoat from the back of the sofa. "I understand, Ichio. I'll show myself out."

Ichio stood as well, bowing. "Thank you, Lord Kaname."

Kaname walked out the door and down the hall. He smiled to himself as he walked down the staircase to the foyer. He could hear Ichio's raised voice in the study. The hunters had done their job well.

Then strange scent caught Kaname's attention. It was the scent of blood. It seemed to be coming from the direction of the kitchen. Curious, Kaname made a detour and stopped at the door outside the kitchen. The door was open a crack and gave him the perfect view of the goings-on inside.

In front of the large work table next to the fire stood the maid from earlier and the butler. Between them and the table was the girl with the turquoise eyes. Although now she looked a sight worse than earlier.

Her thin dress was ripped in several places and the back of it was torn to shreds, the threads barely holding together. There were several bloody lacerations, as if she had been beaten with a switch, a willowy stick that was very similar to a whip and was just as painful. Her tangled hair was now matted in places with dark, sticky blood. It smelled strange. It wasn't quite the scent of a vampire's blood, or quite that of a human. It was something...in between.

"How dare you displease Lord Kaname!" the butler yelled at the girl, giving her a blow with a wooden spoon that made her head snap sideways with a crack that made Kaname cringe inside. It would make even a well-trained vampire hunter cry out from the pain, yet she said nothing. As if it was normal.

"Thousands of girls would die for the chance that Lord Kaname would drink their blood and yet he refused you!" the maid screeched. She moved to grab one of the girl's hands and Kaname saw a cauldron of boiling water hanging over the fire a split second before the maid plunged the girl's right hand into it, holding it in the boiling water.

The girl didn't cry out, but Kaname saw her bite her lip against the pain as a single tear fell from her turquoise eyes. The butler noticed the tear, slipped his glove off and slapped her bare handed on the cheek, leaving an angry red hand print there.

Kaname couldn't stand any more of this. He stepped into the kitchen. "Both of you are a disgrace to the vampire species," he said.

The maid and the butler's eyes widened in shock.

"L-Lord Kaname, we were only-" the maid stuttered, dropping into a deep bow.

"You were only abusing a defenseless girl for something she didn't do," Kaname told them coldly. The girl hadn't moved. "You may tell Ichio that this girl is mine and she is now under my protection."

"But Lord Kaname-" the butler began, looking up at him. He fell silent when he saw Kaname's eyes. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that the Pureblood wouldn't hesitate to destroy him.

Kaname gently wrapped his arm around the girl's shoulders, turning her toward him and guiding her out the door. As they walked toward the front door, Kaname looked down at her. She was small and thin and she still hadn't said a word.

He stopped her in the foyer and draped his overcoat around her shoulders. It enveloped her and nearly dragged the ground. Kaname knelt down in front of her and buttoned the coat around her. Her eyes were still staring into space.

Kaname stood and opened the door. He gently grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her down the steps toward the car. The driver got out and opened the back door for Kaname. Then a small hand gripped his tightly.

Kaname turned toward the girl in surprise. A pair of big, terrified turquoise eyes stared up at him. She had come back to herself. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

The girl looked at the car and then back at him a few times.

"I promise, no one will hurt you," Kaname reassured her.

She shook her head violently and tried to tug her hand away from Kaname. Kaname sighed and gently grabbed her, resting his hand on her head and using his powers to make her go to sleep. He then picked her up and got in the car, laying her head on his lap.

Kaname looked up at the driver, who had gotten back into the car. "Cross Academy," he said. The driver nodded.

As soon as they arrived at the Academy, Kaname carried the girl up to the Headmaster's office. He didn't bother to knock, he simply opened the door with his powers and walked in.

Kaien Cross, the headmaster and founder of Cross Academy, looked up from his paperwork in surprise. He quickly stood up and walked around the desk as Kaname laid the girl on one of the hideous green sofas in front of the big oak desk. "Dear me, Kaname, you've kidnapped another one!" cried the headmaster.

Kaname pointedly ignored Kaien's comment. "I want her enrolled in the Night Class."

Kaien looked down at the girl on his couch. There was going to be a blood stain on it for sure. He looked back up at Kaname. "All joking aside, Kaname, who is she?"

"I don't know," Kaname answered. "I found her being assaulted by Ichio's household."

"It's not like you to show compassion to complete strangers, Kaname. Why do you want her in the Night Class?" Kaien asked. "Isn't she a human?"

"I'm curious," Kaname told him bluntly, ignoring the second question. "I want her to make friends, preferably with Yuki, so as soon as she's feeling better, I want her to join the Disciplinary Committee."

Kaien nodded. He had a feeling that this girls' joining the Disciplinary Committee wasn't only about making friends. "Alright. I'll have a few weapons ready for her to choose from." He was concerned, but he knew that Kaname knew the risks.

Kaname bent down and picked the girl up off the couch. A small groan came from her. He started to walk out the door.

"Kaname, what's her name?" Kaien asked quickly.

Kaname looked over his shoulder at the headmaster. "Claudia."


	2. The New Arrival

The girl woke up to cold air on her face. She'd never felt something so refreshing before. She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw were the stars winking down at her from the inky blackness. The stars were all she'd dreamed them to be. Yes, when she was young she had seen them from the window in the room she had been kept in, but that had been many years ago and was nothing like seeing them now.

She looked up at the vampire who was carrying her. She could get a better look at him now that Claude wasn't shoving her face in the carpet. He looked sad, she could see it in his eyes. It was a deep sadness, soul deep and aching. He blamed himself for something he couldn't have changed.

The vampire must have felt her looking at him for he looked down and smiled when he saw she was awake. "Hello. My name is Kaname Kuran," he said in a velvety voice. "Do you have a name?"

The girl shrugged and shook her head. If she'd had a name, she had never known it. Most people called her "Girl" or "Hey, you."

Kaname smiled sadly. "I was afraid so. Do you mind if I call you Claudia?" he asked.

The girl shrugged. Claudia was as good a name as any, she guessed. Claudia reached up and gently tugged on the collar of Kaname's white jacket.

He looked down at her. "What is it?"

She pointed down at the ground.

Kaname frowned. "Are you sure? You're pretty badly injured."

Claudia nodded vigorously. Sure her injuries hurt, but it was nothing she hadn't dealt with before. It was normally much worse.

As Kaname set Claudia on her feet, she saw an enormous building loom through the darkness. It looked like a mansion, but also like a castle at the same time. It was magnificent.

Claudia caught Kaname's attention and pointed to the building.

"That's the Moon Dormitory," Kaname explained. He elaborated as he saw her confused expression. "You're at Cross Academy. There are two classes: the Night Class and the Day Class. The Night Class is made up of vampires and the Day Class is all humans and doesn't know that the Night Class are vampires."

Claudia nodded. Then she pointed to herself, then to the Moon Dormitory and looked at Kaname, tilting her head in confusion.

"I asked the Headmaster to enroll you in the Night Class. I hope that's all right. If you want, you can transfer to the Day Class if it makes you more comfortable," Kaname told her.

Claudia shook her head. She had more experience with vampires than humans. The only contact she'd had with humans was the occasional servant. At least she knew where she stood with the vampires.

Claudia followed Kaname up the steps of the dormitory. The doors were huge, towering above her head. Kaname grasped the handle and opened the door. The hinges gave a hollow squeak that Claudia heard echo through the building.

"Welcome home, Lord Kaname," a golden- haired vampire said. He had bright green eyes and seemed like a very easy-going person.

Claudia peered around Kaname's arm. Her eyes widened. Sitting on the low, red velvet couches were vampires. Lots of vampires.

Takuma noticed Claudia. He smiled. "Who's this?"

Claudia clutched Kaname's sleeve and ducked behind him. She knew Kaname said the class was full of vampires, but she didn't think there'd be so many!

Kaname looked down at her. "This is Claudia. She's joining the Night Class."

"Wonderful," Takuma said. "My name is Takuma Ichijo."

Claudia scooted farther bac behind Kaname. She knew this was too good to be true.

"So it was her blood we smelled," another voice said. Another blonde haired boy walked up behind Takuma. He had bright blue eyes and looked casual, but Claudia could tell he could snap in a second. He made her nervous.

"Yes," Kaname said. "And now we need to go take care of it." His tone of voice brooked no argument. He grabbed Claudia's hand and pulled her inside, the door swinging closed. They walked up the stairs and Claudia dared to look down at the vampires. They were all staring at her. She quickly swallowed and stared at Kaname's back. There were so many, she wouldn't stand a chance.

Kaname led Claudia into a large office. There were two doors on either side of the room. The door to the right opened onto a bathroom, where Kaname had her sit on the edge of the tub. He grabbed bandages, medicine and a clean cloth from the medicine cabinet and under the counter. He ran the cloth under warm water in the sink and turned back to Claudia. "I'm going to have to ask you to take the coat off. This might sting a bit."

Kaname knelt on the floor in front of Claudia. First, he smeared a burn slave on her hand. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as he thought it was when he'd first seen it. It was only a bit pink now and probably stung. "Turn around, please, Claudia," he said, looking up.

She nodded and did as he asked.

With the back of her dress in ruins, Kaname had no problem cleaning the blood off her skin. Most of the lashes had already clotted, but the scabs on many of them pulled away when he cleaned them. Once they were carefully bandaged, he stepped away from Claudia to turn on the faucet in the tub.

"Claudia, would you mind leaning your head into the water? I need to wash the blood out of your hair so I can see how deep the wound is," Kaname asked. He surprised himself by how gentle he was being with her. He was also impressed that she hadn't flinched at all while he ministering her injuries.

Claudia did as he asked with no complaint.

Kaname gently rinsed the blood out of her hair, washing the rest of it while he did so. Luckily, the cut was very shallow and wasn't anything to worry about.

Kaname was drying Claudia's hair with a thick, fluffy towel when he was surprised by Claudia shoving his wrist in his face. She was offering him her blood. Gently, Kaname grasped her hand and lowered it to her lap.

"I don't want your blood, Claudia. I don't expect it of you," he told her, looking up at her. Her beautiful turquoise eyes were full of fear. "No one here will abuse you or drink your blood, do you understand? What was done to you was wrong and won't happen anymore. I promise, I won't let anything like that happen to you again."

Her eyes filled with tears, like the sea was spilling over.

Kaname clutched her to his chest as the tears started to fall. "Please don't cry," he asked quietly. He didn't understand why it made him upset when she cried. He never quite felt like this when Yuki cried.

Claudia pulled away, wiping her eyes.

Kaname smiled at her. "I'll be right back with some clothes for you." He stood up and walked out of the bathroom, through his office and into his bedroom. He went to the dark wood armoire and opened the doors. He pulled out a box from the very back and opened it. Inside were the belongings of his precious sister and his wife. There wasn't a day that went by in the last ten thousand years that he didn't miss her. Sighing, he pulled one of her favorite nightgowns out of the box, the one he had given her on their wedding night, and closed the doors of the armoire.

Claudia was still sitting as he had left her. He handed the night gown. "I'll step outside while you change," he said, closing the door of the bathroom.

She looked adorable in the old fashioned night gown when she stepped out of the bathroom. It had a high collar and was very lacey, with a pink ribbon on the front.

Kaname smiled when he saw her. He led her to the divan that sat by the window in the office, grabbing the hairbrush he had gotten from his room as he did so. He sat Claudia down on the divan and set to work brushing the tangles out of her hair.

Claudia sat patiently while brushed her hair. Only her old nanny had ever done this before, but she was killed when the master found out. It was nice.

She knew Kaname said he didn't want her blood, but why else would he be so nice to her? All her other clients, if you could even call them that, had been nice too; they'd bring small trinkets when they'd come to visit, some would even ask her permission before drinking her blood, not that it mattered, and some had even let her have a tea cookie or two. Why would a Pureblood vampire be any different than all those aristocrats had been? She had no reason to trust him. Yet she did.

Claudia's thoughts trailed off as she fell asleep to Kaname rhythmically brushing her hair.


	3. Someone's in the Kitchen with Claudia

When Claudia woke up, she was lying in a huge bed. She panicked, thinking she had fallen asleep in one of the Master's guest bedrooms. Claude would be so angry and she'd get thrown in the basement again.

After the momentary panic, Claudia realized that the room she was in was not the Master's. The walls were white with gold-colored ornamentation on them. The bed had a thick white coverlet and sheer bed hangings; it was nicer than anything she'd ever slept in before.

Claudia got up and scrunched her toes in the soft, thick cream carpet. She looked to her right and saw a big window covered with a pale blue sheer curtain. She walked over and pulled back the curtain a little bit to look out the window. She could see a large white building over the tops of the trees. It must be the school.

She pulled herself away from the window to examine the room more closely. There was another bed and a door to the left. Claudia walked over to the door and opened it. It was a bathroom; identical to Kaname's.

Closing the door, Claudia walked back to her bed. It was then that she noticed the pile of clothing neatly folded on her bed. It made her a bit nervous to know that someone had been near her while she slept, but she relaxed a bit when she saw a note on top from Kaname.

 _This is the school uniform. I hope it fits alright._

- _Kaname_

Claudia unfolded the clothes. There was a black button-up shirt, a white jacket with black accents, a short white skirt, black sock and black boots. Claudia carefully took off the nightgown Kaname had given her and gently laid it neatly on the bed. Then she dressed in the uniform Kaname had given her.

When she put the jacket on, Claudia noticed that there were rose-shaped cuff links on the sleeves. She always had problems with things like these, but she eventually got it.

Fully dressed, Claudia looked around the room again, just in case she wasn't able to come back. She noticed a red ribbon lying on the bed. She didn't know what to do with it. Where was it supposed to go? She tied it in her hair, but that didn't seem like it would be right. Then she tried it around her neck like a choker, but that didn't seem right, either. Frustrated, she decided that would ask Kaname.

The dormitory was quiet when she walked out the bedroom door. There were doors on either side of the hall; Claudia walked quietly down it and around two corners before reaching the staircase she had followed Kaname up. She could hear two voices in the foyer. She peered over the railing and saw Kaname and one of the other vampires she had met last night, Takuma.

Claudia walked down the steps. Only a few from the bottom, Claudia tripped and fell on her back on the stairs with a small oof, banging her head in the process. She wasn't used to wearing boots and she'd tripped over them.

Claudia closed her eyes and rubbed her head where she had hit it. When she opened them again, Kaname was standing in front of her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking a little concerned. He extended his hand to help her up.

Claudia nodded and put her hand in Kaname's. As he pulled her up off the floor, he said quietly, "You look adorable."

Remembering the red ribbon in her hand, Claudia gently tugged on Kaname's sleeve and held it up.

He smiled at her. "Here, let me help." He tucked it under her collar and tied it in front with a bow.

Claudia touched the bow lightly. So that's what you were supposed to do with it. It felt right like this.

Kaname wrapped an arm around Claudia's shoulders and guided her toward one of the red velvet couches. Claudia stood next to the couch while Kaname sat. Takuma was sitting on the couch opposite.

Kaname looked at Claudia and patted the couch next to him. "Sit."

Claudia sat stiffly a couple feet away from Kaname, nearly at the other end of the couch. Just because she was warming up to Kaname and starting to trust him, that didn't mean she was going to be completely relaxed around another one. Especially this one.

"You look very cute in that uniform, Claudia," Takuma said with a smile.

If possible, Claudia stiffened even more and stared at the floor. Then her stomach growled very loudly. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and turned bright red, still looking at the floor.

"If it's alright with Kaname, we can go to the kitchen and get you something to eat," Takuma said, looking over at Kaname.

Kaname nodded once. "Go on, he won't bite," he told Claudia, who had looked up at for reassurance that going with Takuma would be alright.

Claudia nodded and got up, following Takuma into the kitchen. She sat on a stool at the island in the middle of the kitchen.

Takuma went to the sink and washed his hands. He dried them and turned to Claudia. "So what would you like?"

Claudia shrugged. She'd never had a choice in food before. This was hard.

A notepad and a pen was slid in front of her. She looked up and saw Takuma smile at her.

"Kaname told me you haven't talked yet, so I thought maybe you would be more comfortable writing it down," he told her.

Claudia thought for a moment longer then wrote down what she wanted.

Takuma turned the pad toward him to read what she wrote. Ramen. He looked at Claudia over the top of the pad. "Really? That's it?"

She nodded.

"Alright. Want to help me make it?" Takuma asked.

After a moment's hesitation, Claudia nodded.

Takuma went to the fridge and pulled out noodle dough, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, ginger, green onions, sliced chicken and spinach. Then he went to a cupboard and pulled out chili powder and garlic cloves. He handed the noodle dough to Claudia. "I'll handle the stock if you cook the noodles and the chicken, okay?"

Claudia nodded. She grabbed the pan and the small pot that Takuma handed her and set to work. At least this was something she was familiar with. She took the sliced chicken and put it in the pan with a clove of chopped garlic, some soy sauce and sesame oil she found next to the stove. While the chicken fried, Claudia rolled out the noodle dough and cut it into thin strips. Then she filled the small pot with water and set it to boil. It didn't take very long and soon she was able to put the noodles in. While she waited for the noodles and the chicken, she watched Takuma.

He didn't act like the other ones; the Ichijo's she had met. They were cold and imperious, but this one, he was actually being nice. He was even cooking with her and she had never seen one do that before. Actually, she had never seen one in the kitchen before unless it was to yell at her.

Takuma looked over at her. "The stock is almost ready if you want to get a bowl," he said, pointing to a cupboard next to the sink.

Claudia nodded. She went over and opened the cupboard, pulling out three green bowls. She set them on the counter and drained the oil from the chicken and portioned it into the bowls. She did the same for the noodles and then took the bowls over to Takuma.

He looked surprised when she set three bowls down next to him.

She grabbed the pad off the island and wrote, _I can't eat all of it._

Takuma shrugged. "Okay." Then he took the stock off the stove and divided it amongst the three bowls. Then he went to a drawer and grabbed three spoons and stuck them in the bowls.

Claudia walked out of the kitchen and into the foyer. Kaname was still sitting on the couch with his head tilted back and his eyes closed. Claudia sat on her knees on the couch, facing Kaname. It looked like he was asleep, so she didn't want to wake him and make him angry, but she wanted to share the soup with him. What was she supposed to do?

While Claudia was trying to decide what to do, Kaname opened a dark red eye and smiled at what he saw. Claudia was staring at the cushion, biting her lip and looking anxious.

He sat up, startling Claudia, who jumped back, afraid she woken him by accident and he was angry with her.

"What were you thinking about so hard?" Kaname asked.

Claudia's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. She stood up and grabbed Kaname's hand, pulling him off the couch.

"Where are we going?" he asked with a chuckle as Claudia towed him toward the kitchen. She pulled him into the kitchen, where he saw Takuma sitting at the island with three green bowls in front of him.

Claudia picked one of the bowls up and handed it to Kaname.

Kaname smiled at how happy she looked. "Thank you," he told her and took a bite of the ramen she gave him. "It tastes very good."

Claudia smiled and wrote something down on the pad. She held it up to show him. _Takuma and I made it._

"Thank you to you both," Kaname said, nodding to Takuma. Kaname watched as Claudia sat down at the island and began eating her ramen.

Claudia took her first bite and her eyes lit up. It tasted so good! She had been allowed to make ramen before, but never eat it. Now she knew what she had been missing out on.

Kaname watched Claudia eat and had a feeling that this had been good for her. She needed to start rusting people, and making ramen with Takuma, a son of the Ichijo family, might have made a bit easier for her trust people in the future.


	4. Enter Cross Academy

As the door to the Moon Dormitory closed behind them, Claudia found herself reaching for Kaname's sleeve. She grabbed the cuff of it and looked up at him to make sure it was alright for her to be so close to him in public. Just because it had been alright last night when he was bringing her here, she couldn't be certain that it was okay now.

Kaname looked down at her and smiled, happiness showing in his red eyes. "Are you nervous?"

Claudia nodded.

"Don't worry," Kaname reassured. "You don't have to dive into it head first right away. For now, we're just going to introduce you to the Headmaster and a close friend of mine, okay?"

Claudia swallowed and nodded. She was so far out of her comfort zone. Her whole world had changed in a matter of hours. This time yesterday, she was being prepped for Lord Kaname's arrival and now she was clinging on to his sleeve for dear life as he threw her into his world head first.

The gate to the Moon Dormitory opened silently, the scary gate keeper nodding to Kaname. As they walked to the school, Claudia noticed more and more people were staring at them. The girls were fawning all over Kaname, yet still keeping a respectful distance. Unfortunately, many of them were either fawning over Claudia or glaring at her. Humans were confusing.

"Oh my gosh, isn't she just the cutest thing!" A boy with horn-rimmed glasses and a terrible haircut gushed, grabbing the hem of the pink coat Kaname had handed her this morning. "Oh, please tell me you're a member of the Night Class, goddess, and not a figment of my imagination!"

Claudia recoiled, clutching onto Kaname's arm with both hands in terror.

Kaname looked over at the groveling Day Class student with a mix of anger and disgust. The Day Class student instantly backed away in fear. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean anything by it, I promise!" he apologized, shaking.

Kaname led Claudia away from the Day Class student, still fixing him to the spot with an icy stare, and toward the building. Gradually she relaxed and resumed grabbing Kaname's sleeve.

Kaname ran a hand through his hair and looked down at Claudia. "I'm sorry, are you alright?"

Claudia looked up at him and nodded.

They reached the building and Kaname held one side of the heavy oak double doors open for her, following Claudia into the building. He led up her up a flight of stairs and down a hallway before knocking on a door. Claudia noticed that there was a brass plaque on the door that said 'Headmaster Kaien Cross.' For some reason that name seemed familiar to her but she couldn't quite put a finger on why.

"Come in," a light tenor voice spoke from the other side of the door.

Kaname opened the door and entered, Claudia following him. She grabbed his sleeve again as she stood by him.

"Oh, Kaname, how nice to see you." A tall man with a blond ponytail and a green shawl wrapped around his shoulders turned away from the bookcase against the right wall, a red-bound book in his hand. He adjusted his glasses, pushing them farther up his nose. "You must be Claudia," he said, moving forward, stretching his hand out toward her. "My name is Kaien Cross, the headmaster at this academy."

Claudia looked up at Kaname. He smiled at her, "It's alright, Headmaster Cross won't hurt you, either."

Claudia nodded in affirmation and gently grasped Kaien's hand in hers, giving it a small shake.

The Headmaster grinned in delight. "Oh, isn't she just adorable, Kaname? Just like my Yuki." He coughed and collected himself. "Claudia, has Kaname told you what we do here at the Academy?"

Claudia shook her head.

"Well, we're hoping that creating the Day Class and the Night Class will prove that humans and vampires can exist together in the modern world," Kaien set the book on his desk. "Would you be interested in helping with that cause?"

Claudia thought for a moment before nodding. She had nothing to lose when this pipe dream of Kaien's blew up in his face, after all. It was better that she be a part of the backlash than someone else. Besides, it seemed like Kaname believed in Kaien's dream, why else would he be here?

Kaien smiled. "Wonderful. Would you be willing to join the Disciplinary Committee? They help keep order on campus between the Day Class students and the Night Class students," he explained, seeing Claudia's confused expression.

Claudia nodded again. If this was how she could pay Kaname back for his help, she would gladly do it.

Kaien clapped his hands together, grinning like an idiot. He walked over to table in the corner of the room and pulled off the cloth that was covering it, displaying various weapons gleaming in the last of the light that filtered in through the windows. Kaien beckoned Claudia over and she went after gaining Kaname's approval.

"To be on the Disciplinary Committee, you need to choose a weapon. Most of these will only affect vampires, so don't worry about accidentally hurting a Day Class student, all right?"

Claudia nodded and perused the choice of weapons. She reached for a gun with a rose inscribed on the handle, but jumped back when sparks came off it, stinging her hand. She reached for a sword and the same thing happened.

Kaien rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, I wonder…" he trailed off and walked to a cabinet by his desk. He unlocked it and pulled a leather glove on over his exposed skin, pulling out a small rod about eight inches in length. "Try this one, Claudia."

Claudia reached for the rod in Kaien's hand and as her fingers wrapped around it, it lit up with a dark blue light. Startled, Claudia stepped back and withdrew her hand.

"It's alright, Claudia. You can take it," Kaien assured her.

Hesitantly, Claudia reached and took the rod from Kaien's hand. As soon as she grabbed it, it immediately elongated to stand six feet tall and waves of energy pulsed from it for a few seconds before calming back down and emitting a soft blue glow.

"Hm, I've never seen it do that before," Kaien said thoughtfully. "In fact, she's the only person I've seen that it'll let hold it."

Claudia didn't see, but rather felt Kaname stiffen behind her. She turned and sure enough, he was holding himself rigid, staring at the rod.

"How did you get the Apollo rod, Kaien?" Kaname asked quietly.

"The Hunter Society donated it to the school, along with Yuki's Artemis rod. They are a set, you know," Kaien told him, suddenly all business.

Kaname's response was so quiet, Claudia almost didn't hear it. "I know."

A knock sounded on the door.

"Enter," Kaien called.

The door opened and in came a young girl, probably Claudia's age if she knew how old she was, with short brown hair. A tall, grouchy-looking man with white hair followed her in.

"I still don't understand why I have to be here," he was complaining to the brown-haired girl.

"Because you're part of the Disciplinary Committee too, y'know!" the girl snapped at him.

The man rolled his eyes and tucked his hands into his pockets, slouching against the wall.

"Yuki, Zero, I'd like you to meet the newest member of the Disciplinary Committee," Kaien said, gesturing to Claudia.

Yuki bowed. "It's nice to meet you."

Zero looked at her. "Who are you?"

"Her name is Claudia," Kaname said, placing a hand on Claudia's shoulder, looking disinterestedly at Zero.

"Hold on a sec," Zero said, taking in Claudia. He looked at the Headmaster. "You're making us work with one of those parasites?" His voice dripped venom.

"I'd watch your mouth if I were you, Zero," Kaname told him coldly.

Kaine stepped in between them. "Alright, calm down. Zero, Claudia isn't a vampire. She's part of the Night Class because of her situation, so I don't want you holding it against her, alright?"

Zero shrugged. "Whatever. Just don't expect me to trust her. She's cozying up with the blood suckers."

Claudia thought she heard Kaname growl, a deep rumbling in his chest. She immediately looked up at him and shook her head. She wouldn't have him disrupting Kaien's pipe dream over her.

Kaine cleared his throat. "Well, then, since the Night Class is starting soon, I suggest you get to class, Kaname. Yuki and Zero can show Claudia around the grounds and introduce her to her duties as a member of the Disciplinary Committee, alright?"

Claudia nodded and looked up at Kaname. He was still staring down Zero. She pulled the pad of paper out of her pocket and a pencil and wrote, _Go on, I'll be fine._ Claudia tugged on Kaname's sleeve and showed it to him.

Kaname read it and held Claudia's eyes for a moment. "Very well," he said at last. "If you need me, I'll be there." With one last glare at Zero, Kaname left the Headmaster's office.

Claudia swallowed and looked at Yuki and Zero. Hopefully this goes smoother than she expects it to.


	5. Kebab's for One, Please

"So, the Headmaster says you just got here," Yuki mentions as she holds the door open for Claudia as they exit the building. Zero follows her, still scowling.

Claudia nodded.

"Has Kaname given you a tour yet?" Yuki asks as she walks next to Claudia.

She shook her head. Claudia wasn't used to being around a girl who actually talked to her. It was odd, to say the least.

"We can do that while we go on our rounds, right Zero?" Yuki turned to look at Zero, a smile on her face.

Zero just stared at her expressionlessly.

Yuki rolled her eyes. "You're absolutely no help, Zero!"

"Anyway, Claudia, the Day Class dormitory is over there," Yuki said, pointing to a building that looked identical to the Night Class building.

Claudia nodded. Then she saw a dark building out of the way on the school grounds. It looked abandoned. Claudia tugged on Yuki's sleeve and pointed toward it.

"Hm? Oh, that's the old faculty building. It's strictly out of bounds to students, though, so unless someone sneaks in I doubt we'll have to go over there," Yuki answered. Claudia nodded.

Claudia pulled her notebook out of her pocket and scribbled on it. She showed it to Yuki. _What exactly does the Disciplinary Committee need to do if the Day Class is supposed to be in their dormitory and the Night Class is in session?_

"First, we make sure the transition of the Day Class to the Night Class at sunset goes as smooth as possible since the Day Class girls tend to get a little out of hand," Yuki said. "We'll show you how to do that tomorrow, okay?"

"How's she gonna do that if she's in the Night Class herself?" Zero asked.

"Oh, you're right," Yuki said. "You can help us with patrolling the grounds, okay?"

Claudia nodded. It sounded like the transition time was going to be awful. She was glad she wasn't going to have to help with that immediately. She didn't think she could handle so many people, especially after her walk to the Headmaster's office with Kaname earlier.

"So after we get the Day Class students back to their dormitory and the Night Class to their classes, we go on patrol," Yuki continued. "We have to patrol the grounds constantly since the Day Class, the girls especially, like to sneak out of the dormitory and try to get close to the Night Class."

Claudia was confused. Didn't those girls know that anything that was as gorgeous as a vampire was deadly? Anything that pretty was too good to be true. She asked Yuki as much.

"Well," Yuki began.

Zero grabbed Claudia's notepad and turned it so he could read it. He scoffed. "No, they're idiots. They don't understand that those pretty people they fawn over wouldn't hesitate to kill them."

"Zero, that's not true!" Yuki told him. "The whole reason Kaname and the other vampires are here is to prove that vampires and humans can coexist."

"Hmph. Yet they aren't telling the humans that their classmates are highly evolved predators." Zero said, walking ahead of Yuki and Claudia.

Yuki sighed. "I'm sorry about him. He's a little more negative toward vampires than the Headmaster is."

Claudia nodded. She could understand Zero's aversion to them. They were gorgeous, but most of them only viewed humans as mobile meals at best and blood slaves at worst. She should know.

Zero stopped in his tracks as they rounded the corner of the building and entered a small copse of trees. He held up his hand for Yuki and Claudia to stop. The rustle of bushes was heard and then quiet, feminine giggling.

Yuki sighed. "Day Class students. Come on, lets go take care of them." She pulled out Artemis and ran through the bushes toward the culprits.

Zero sighed. "You, follow me and stay out of the way," he told her before following Yuki, although a little less energetically.

Claudia nodded silently and followed him. Once she cleared a few bushes, she saw Yuki in the clearing between two trees, berating a couple of Day Class girls. Quite frankly, they looked terrified, but not of Yuki. It was Zero's cold, calculating stare that had the poor girls pinned to the spot.

Claudia stepped forward, but her boot slipped on a wet rock and she fell forward. Ferns hit her face, a bramble bush scratched her check on the way down and as she landed on the ground with a thud, a stick jabbed its way into her hand. Her knee collided with the rock she slipped on and ripped her tights, drawing blood where it scoured her skin.

Yuki looked over at Claudia, her attention momentarily distracted. "Claudia, are you okay?"

Claudia looked up and nodded.

Zero scowled at her before resuming his glare at the Day Class students. "Get back to your dormitory and stay there," he growled.

The girls nodded vigorously and scampered away in the direction of the Day Class dormitory.

Yuki walked over and reached out a hand to help Claudia up off the ground.

Claudia shook her head at Yuki's proffered hand and picked herself up off the ground, assessing the damage. Apparently, she was incorrect in her earlier assessment; the stick had gone through the fleshy part of her hand, between her thumb and index finger.

Claudia looked up and saw Zero stiffen, pulling a gun out of his inner jacket pocket and pointing it in the direction of the main building, at…Takuma Ichijo? He wasn't there thirty seconds ago, but Claudia wasn't surprised considering he was a vampire.

Green eyes stared intensely into lavender ones.

"I assure you, Zero, there won't be a need for that," Takuma said quietly.

Zero held his gun steady, barrel between his eyes.

Takuma sighed. "Lord Kaname sent me to check on Claudia. He smelled blood and was concerned."

Zero lowered his gun but held Takuma's gaze.

With a minute nod, Takuma turned his attention to Claudia. 'Oh my," he said, taking in her scraped knee, the blood dripping steadily from the scratch on her cheek and larger drops coming from her hand, falling to the grass at her feet. "I should get you to Lord Kaname."

Claudia shook her head, brushing stray hairs out her eyes with the non-shish kebabbed hand. The shish kebab in question happened to be part of a much larger branch and Claudia bent down, breaking the stick in half. She winced as the action moved the stick's position in her hand and undoubtedly bumped a few more nerves, but she didn't make a sound.

Takuma walked toward her, undoing his tie as he did so. "May I?" he asked, reaching for Claudia's injured hand, stopping short before actually touching her.

Claudia wordlessly gave him her hand, stick and all.

"I'm sorry, but this is probably going to hurt," Takuma said, pulling the tie from his neck. He carefully held the stick in Claudia's hand in place and wrapped the tie around it tightly, trying to minimize blood loss and the movement of the stick at the same time. He carefully watched Claudia's face for any signs of serious pain, but she didn't hardly flinch.

"We'd better get you to Lord Kaname," Takuma said. "He'll want to make sure you're alright."

Claudia nodded and followed him toward the main building. She was relieved when Zero and Yuki followed them, she still didn't really trust Takuma. However, a part of her deep down was delighted. Ichio would be having an aneurysm if he knew a member of his own family had used his own tie to tend to her wound. Especially when Ichio made it known he thought her life was worth less than the dirt he walked on.

Kaname was waiting for them outside the main enterance to the building, casually leaning against the entryway. "What took so long, Takuma? I was beginning to get worried," he remarked. His voice was still casual but Claudia could sense the displeasure under his words.

Takuma bowed. "My apologies for the delay, Lord Kaname," he said sincerely. "One of Claudia's injuries needed tending to."

Kaname walked over to Claudia. "Thank you, Takuma. You may return to class."

Takuma nodded and walked back into the building.

Kaname put an arm around Claudia's shoulders and looked to Yuki and Zero. "Thank you, Yuki, Zero. I believe Claudia will be staying with me for the rest of the night."

Yuki blushed. "You – you're welcome, Kaname."

Kaname smiled graciously at her and walked inside the building, guiding Claudia in with him. They walked up the stairs and into the hallway they were in earlier, stopping once more in front of the Headmaster's office. Kaname knocked, arm still around Claudia's shoulders.

"What is it?" Kaien's could be heard through the door.

Kaname opened the door and walked in ahead of Claudia.

"Oh, Kaname!" the Headmaster exclaimed, standing up from behind his desk. "What brings you here? Oh, and with Claudia!"

Kaname glanced at Kaien as he reached down and gently grasped Claudia's hand, pulling her through a door that connected to the Headmaster's office. "You have a first aid kit."

The bathroom that Kaname had pulled Claudia into was very similar to the one Kaname had taken her to in the Night Class dormitory. Kaname gently picked Claudia up by her waist and set her on the counter, leaning down and grabbing the first aid kit from under the sink.

The marble countertop was cold against the back of Claudia's bare legs.

"Oh my," Kaien said, appearing in the doorway. "What happened, Claudia? Was Zero being mean to you?" he asked in a very childish voice. "Do I need to sic Yuki on him?"

Kaname shoved the door closed, locking it.

"Kaname!" Kaien said through the door indignantly.

The vampire in question let out a long-suffering sigh and looked at the ceiling, shaking his head. This was the most emotion she had seen him have. She couldn't help but notice that he let her witness these rare moments of…almost humanity. He was always collected and oozed power and confidence around everyone else. It was curious.

Kaname turned to Claudia with a small smile. He knelt on one knee and opened the first aid kit. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

Claudia shrugged. He had the power to do anything he liked with her. It wasn't like she could stop him.

Kaname pulled out a disinfecting wipe and cleaned the scrape on her knee, gently covering it with a band-aid. Then he gently cleaned the dried blood off her cheek.

Pulling out a roll of bandages and gauze from the first aid kit, Kaname set them on the counter next to Claudia. He carefully grabbed her injured hand and slowly unwound Takuma's tie, keeping the stick in place as much as possible. Once the wound was completely unwrapped, Kaname looked up at Claudia.

"I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt," he said quietly. Claudia nodded.

Kaname quickly pulled the stick out of her hand. Claudia let out a small gasp and clenched her jaw as fresh blood came out of the wound once the stick wasn't plugging the hole anymore. Kaname applied pressure with the gauze, but it was quickly soaked through with blood.

He sighed. He really didn't want to inflict more pain. Kaname looked up at Claudia. She was biting her lip, eyes squeezed tightly closed. Kaname used his powers to lull Claudia to sleep, gently catching her as she slumped forward and leaned her back against the wall, her head drooping on her right shoulder. It was uncomfortable, but it would only be for a few minutes.

Kaname pulled out a sterile needle, pulling it out of the package, and threading it with surgical thread. He deftly stitched up the holes in Claudia's hand, wiping off the blood that trickled from the stitches.

He stood and walked to the door, opening it a crack. "Would you mind asking Yuki to meet me at the Night Dormitory? I wish to ask her to look after Claudia for me."

Kaien nodded and left.

Kaname put the bloody gauze pads in the trash and returned the first aid kit to its place under the sink before gathering Claudia in his arms. Without a word to Kaien, Kaname carried Claudia out of the Headmaster's office and out of the building.

Yuki was waiting for him when he entered the gate to the Night Dormitory. She was sitting on the steps and stood when he approached. "Hello, Kaname. The Headmaster said you needed my help with something?" she asked, opening the dormitory door so Kaname could walk in without attempting to juggle Claudia.

Kaname smiled at Yuki as he walked passed her. "Yes, Yuki. I have some matters to attend to, so would mind keeping an eye on Claudia for me?"

"Oh, of course!" Yuki followed Kaname up the stairs to Claudia's room, where he gently deposited her on the bed and covered her with the duvet.

Kaname smiled at Yuki. 'Thank you. If you need me, I'll come immediately."

Yuki smiled. "Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine once she wakes up."

As Yuki settled into the chair next to Claudia's bed, Kaname left, but before he closed the door, he turned and watched Claudia for a moment, an almost invisible calm settling over him. The door snapped shut with a click as he left.


	6. Cat and Mouse

A soft knock at the door invaded Claudia's subconsciousness. She opened her eyes, rubbing the tiredness from them. Strange, she didn't remember falling asleep. She rubbed her eyes again, feeling unusually groggy.

Through bleary eyes she noticed she was still in her uniform. Yuki was fast asleep next to her, snoring slightly. She was sitting in a chair next to the bed with her arms pillowing her head where they rested on the edge of the bed.

The knock sounded at the door again.

Claudia ignored it, absorbed in her own thoughts. A sickening feeling twisted inside her. A feeling of unnatural grogginess, such a strong desire to go back to sleep, foggy thoughts…a vampire had put her to sleep. But that meant…the only vampire she had been near was…

Shock jolted Claudia like she'd been struck by lightning.

Kaname had done this.

Part of Claudia felt betrayed, but the rest of her knew she shouldn't have expected anything less from a vampire, even one who seemed to protect her.

The door opened quietly. Claudia's head snapped to the side, eyes wide, to see Takuma easing the door open with a tea tray in his hands.

Takuma looked up, a smile on his face. "Oh, you're awake. How do you feel?" He set the tea tray gently on the night stand, three tea cups rattling slightly in their saucers.

Claudia looked down at her bandaged hand and shrugged. It hurt, but it was nothing she couldn't deal with. It's not like she hadn't been in pain before.

Claudia grabbed the notepad and pen on the corner of the nightstand and quickly scribbled something, turning it to show Takuma.

 _Did Kaname compel me to sleep?_

Takuma sighed. He poured two cups of tea, handing one to Claudia and keeping one for himself. He sat on the edge of the bed, one leg resting on the duvet, facing Claudia.

"Yes, he did, Claudia. I'm sure you feel confused about it, but Kaname didn't want to cause you any more pain than you had already gone through," Takuma explained.

Claudia sat quietly, staring at the duvet. Then she nodded, taking a sip of her tea. Her eyes flicked up, locking with Takuma's.

Takuma held her gaze, taking a drink of his tea. "Claudia, I have something else I wanted to talk to you about."

Claudia set down her cup and nodded.

"Ichio has asked me to assist him with a project, so I'll be returning to the manor tonight," Takuma said slowly.

Claudia's face remained impassive.

"I was wondering if there was anything you wanted me fetch for you? A keepsake perhaps?"

Claudia shook her head. There weren't any keepsakes to fetch.

Takuma nodded. "Alright then. Is there anything you would like me to tell Ichio for you?"

Again, Claudia shook her head.

Takuma began to stand and hesitated, looking back at Claudia. "I know you don't trust me, but for what it's worth, I'm glad you escaped that house." Takuma pulled aside the collar on his shirt, exposing faint white lacerations that stretched across his neck and disappeared under his shirt. "I know exactly how unwelcoming it can be."

Takuma turned to leave, but a tug on his sleeve made him pause. He turned and saw Claudia standing behind him, handing him her note pad. He took it and saw a few words scribbled on it.

 _Watch your back. Things aren't what they seem._

Takuma nodded grimly as he handed the pad back to Claudia. "Don't worry, Claudia. I know exactly what I'm walking into. Now, you'd better get back in bed before Kaname comes in to check on you. He wouldn't be pleased if you over-exerted yourself."

Claudia nodded and climbed back into the luxurious bed. She pulled the comforter onto her lap as Takuma closed the door behind him.

Kaname was sitting in the window of his office, his chin resting in his palm, elbow braced against a bent knee. The other leg was extended off the edge of the bench seat, foot resting on the floor. He was staring out the window at the world bathed in moonlight and shadow, contemplating his next move.

"Enter," he responded to the knock at the door.

The door of his office opened silently and shut with a click. Quiet footsteps made their way toward him.

"Lord Kaname," Takuma said with a bow.

"Is Claudia awake?"

"Yes," Takuma answered. "I don't think she's very pleased with you. Nor is she pleased with what we're about to do."

Kaname glanced back out the window. "No, I don't imagine she is, but it's necessary. We need to know exactly what Ichio is planning and why he had Claudia."

"Yes. Especially since no one knew she was in the house. She was the best kept secret in the Ichijo household," Takuma said, "Well, I'd best be off."

Takuma turned and strode toward the door. He opened it with a soft click.

"Takuma."

Takuma turned and saw Kaname's red gaze on levelled in him. "Yes, Lord Kaname?"

"Be careful."

Takuma nodded and walked through the door, closing it softly behind him.


	7. Rain?

Yuki groaned. "I didn't understand anything Mr. Yagari was talking about!"

Zero flicked her in the side of the head. "You would have if you hadn't been asleep again."

"Zero!" Yuki exclaimed, "That's not fair and you know it! We were up all night again dealing with the Day Class girls."

Zero rolled his eyes. "That isn't an excuse. Claudia and I were dealing with them too and we didn't fall asleep in class."

Claudia tuned out their argument. She could smell the heavy scent of water in the air and the sky was unusually dark. She was pretty sure it was going to rain.

Sure enough, large droplets splattered to the courtyard, turning the stone a much darker grey than normal. Day Class students were covering their heads with their books and running for the cover of the breezeways at the edges of the buildings. Claudia set her books down on the cement of the breezeway and stepped out into the rain as it began coming down harder. She turned her face up to the heavens and felt the rain patter her face. It was wet and cold and amazing. She'd seen rain from the window of her room in the Ichijo house, but she had never been allowed to feel it.

A warm hand grabbed Claudia's arm and pulled her back under the breezeway. Another hand grabbed her other arm and steadied her as she lost her balance and Claudia found herself staring at Zero.

"You're going to make yourself sick if you stay out there," he said. He took in the peculiar look on Claudia's face. "Have you never seen rain before or something?"

Claudia grinned and made a so-so shrug.

Zero sighed and rolled his eyes. "No wonder. C'mon then, we'd better get you back to the Night Class dormitory so you can dry off, otherwise you'll catch a cold in your wet clothes," he said as he stooped to pick up Claudia's books from where she had abandoned them on the concrete.

Suddenly, a strange feeling spread through Claudia. First, it tingled her toes and then moved up her legs, causing a shiver up her spine before it pooled and coiled in her stomach. She didn't know what this feeling was, but a smile spread its way across her lips and as soon as Zero's back was turned as he picked up her books, she ran back out into the rain and into the woods bordering the Academy.

Zero straightened and cursed as he saw Claudia disappearing into the woods. "Shit." He shoved Claudia's books toward Yuki, not even caring that she was so startled she almost dropped them. "Stay here, I'll go get her."

"Be careful, Zero!" Yuki shouted at him as he ran out into the storm.

The rain was pounding harder now, coming down in sheets so hard, it made it almost impossible to see. Claudia loved it. Zero, on the other hand, was very much not loving it.

The rain was slicking his hair down, dragging it into his eyes so he was constantly shoving it out of his face so he could keep Claudia in sight. He didn't understand how such a small girl, who was so thin it looked like she'd been starved before coming to the Academy, could run so fast, especially for so long. Zero was a vampire hunter, trained to catch creatures with inhuman speed and he was having trouble keeping one sick-looking girl in his sight in this weather.

As he ran through a bush, he saw a brown object in the mud in front of him. He stopped and picked it up and turned it over. It was one of Claudia's shoes. Muttering under his breath, Zero kept going. He saw a glimpse of Claudia's silver hair in front of him and he pushed himself to run faster. Not only was the idiot running around in a rainstorm, but now she only had one shoe.

Not much farther along, a root hidden in the mud caught his foot and he went sprawling. Grunting and coughing, Zero wiped the mud out of his eyes and he saw Claudia's other shoe laying next to him. He sighed and grabbed it, too. He stood and looked at himself. He was now covered in mud. The only good thing about the rain is that it would probably wash most it out of his uniform. Judging by the skid marks to Zero's left, Claudia had also fallen, which accounted for the lost shoe.

Zero looked around at his surroundings. It was just him and the sound of the rain pattering on the leaves. Claudia was nowhere in sight.

"Shit."

Claudia was sitting on a bench under a willow tree. The stone was cold under her where it seeped through her wet stockings, but she didn't care. She had run through the forest, ignoring Zero thundering along behind her. She knew that Zero was just concerned for her, but she'd never been able to make her own decisions about what she did and where she went and she wasn't about to let Zero tell her she couldn't be in the rain, no matter how well-meaning it was.

Now it was just her and the sounds of the rain. She loved listening to the rain patter against the leaves of the trees and bushes around her, it was oddly soothing. Claudia enjoyed it immensely, she was more peaceful now than she had been in years.

Claudia sat there for a while, listlessly watching the rain disrupt the surface of the small lake on the grounds of the Academy. The rain was falling in sheets by now, blown sideways by the wind and creating patterns on the surface of the lake. A band of almost-smooth water followed buy a band of very disturbed water followed by another band of nearly flat water. It was mesmerizing.

A particularly strong gust of wind blew into the semi-sheltered spot Claudia was sitting in and her wet hair blew into her face, sticking to it. As she shoved her hair out of her face, she noticed all of a sudden that she no longer felt the rhythmic patter of the rain on her skin. She looked up and saw Kaname holding a black umbrella over them both.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing to the empty space on the bench beside her.

Claudia nodded and Kaname sat down next to her. "You ran poor Zero ragged, you know."

Claudia studiously watched the rain cascading over the lake, listening to it patter against the umbrella.

"Yuki practically had to force him to dry off and warm up before he came back out looking for you," Kaname said. He turned his head to look out at the lake as well. "You made a lot of people worry about you, Claudia, running off into a storm." He paused. "But I understand."

Kaname reached over and draped a large black coat around Claudia's shoulders, not unlike the one he himself wore. Claudia didn't realize how cold she was until the warmth of the coat started to permeate her chilled clothes. The pair sat in silence for a while, each enjoying the other's company and the peacefulness of the storm.

"Thank you, Kaname."

Kaname's eyes widened a fraction in surprise. He turned his head to look at Claudia, whose bright turquoise eyes stared back at him.

"For understanding," she continued.

Her voice was nothing like Kaname imagined it to be. He expected a quiet, meek voice to match the image of the meek, quiet girl. Instead he got a soft and airy voice that had an edge of confidence to it. A voice that belonged to a girl that wasn't going to let anything get in the way of her living her life. He couldn't keep a smile from spreading across his face at the sound.

Claudia turned her attention back to the lake. "I suppose I should apologize to Zero, yes? For causing him trouble?"

"That decision is up to you," Kaname said with a shrug. "Personally, I thought the whole situation was entertaining, however, I doubt he feels the same."

Kaname silently reached over and grabbed one of Claudia's frozen hands in his warm one, trying to warm it up a bit. He was worried about how cold her skin was.

A gust of wind made Claudia shiver. Kaname looked at her with a bit of concern evident on his features. "Are you ready to head home yet?"

Claudia nodded. "Hmm, home. That's an interesting concept," she said with a smile on her face. "I guess it is home, isn't it?"

Kaname stood and held out a hand to help Claudia to her feet. As soon as she was on her feet, Kaname tucked her close against his side. She looked up at him questioningly. "You're shaking," he said simply.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, the pair were in sight of the Moon Dormitory. Walking down the path to it, in fact, when Claudia stumbled and fell. Kaname dropped the umbrella and caught her before she hit the hard stone. Cradled in his arms, he noticed Claudia's eyes were glassy and her cheeks were flushed. He gently rested a hand on her forehead to confirm his suspicions. She was burning up while the rest of her body was nearly as cold as ice. "And you've lost your shoes, too," he said with a sigh. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked, not expecting an answer as he strode toward the Moon Dormitory with inhuman speed. He didn't want Claudia to be exposed to the elements any longer than she already had been.

Kaname used his powers to open the door to the dormitory and strode in. He was mildly intrigued to see a few members of the Night Class loitering in the foyer, a nervous Yuki among them.

She was sitting on one of the plush couches, nervously fiddling with her fingers where they rested in her lap. She stood up when the door opened Kaname appeared inside entrance, holding a dripping bundle with silver hair. "You found Claudia, Kaname? Is she alright?"

"Yuki, it's dangerous for you to be here," Kaname mentioned as he walked toward the stairs, not caring that the water dripping off them both was probably ruining the very expensive carpets of the Moon Dormitory.

Takuma leaned over the back of the couch, looking at Kaname. "Don't worry, Lord Kaname, we kept Hanabusa away from her."

Hanabusa, who was standing at the complete opposite end of the foyer from where Yuki had been sitting, arms crossed over his chest, snorted.

"Besides, she was just worried about Claudia," Takuma continued. "We all were," he said, turning his head to look at the vampires occupying the foyer.

"Very well," Kaname said as he headed up the stairs. "Yuki, follow me," he called over his shoulder.

"Y-yes, Kaname," Yuki scrambled up the stairs after Kaname.

Kaname led Yuki into his bathroom and deposited Claudia gently in the large tub. He turned to Yuki. "Can you help Claudia warm up for me? She's too cold, but her body will go into shock if it's warmed up too quickly."

Yuki nodded. "Don't worry, I know just what to do." She had done this for Zero when the Headmaster had first brought him home, although not quite to this degree.

"Thank you, Yuki," Kaname said, giving her a small smile. "I'll leave a change of clothes for the pair of you outside the door. I'm heading over to tell the Headmaster that Claudia's been found. If you need anything, tell Takuma." Once Yuki nodded her head in confirmation, Kaname walked out the door, closing it behind him.

Yuki gently pulled Claudia's wet things off, wringing them out in the sink. Then she turned on the tap and ran her fingers under it until the water was about room temperature and she stuck the plug in the drain of the bath tub. Claudia stirred a bit as the water rose around her, but her eyes stayed closed, her head leaning against her shoulder.

Yuki turned the tap off as the water reached Claudia's shoulders, but Yuki worried that Claudia, in her fevered state, might slide deeper into the water and drown, so Yuki, fully clothed, climbed into Kaname's huge bathtub and pulled Claudia into her lap, Yuki's shoulder supporting most of the other girls' weight. As Claudia's body warmed, she was shaking so hard that Yuki was glad she was supporting her.

Once Claudia's shaking had subsided a bit and the temperature of her skin matched that of the water, Yuki gently moved out from under Claudia and pulled the stopper in the drain, letting the water drain out of it. When the tub was empty, Yuki filled it again with warm water and then resumed her position supporting Claudia. Once Yuki determined that Claudia was warm enough, she pulled the plug from the drain and pulled Claudia out of the tub.

Yuki set Claudia on the floor, leaning her against the side of the tub before she grabbed towels out from under the sink. Once she had dried Claudia off, Yuki opened the bathroom door and saw a small pile of clothes sitting in front of it. She grabbed them and shut the door. She helped Claudia into clean under garments and the set of blue pajamas. Then Yuki dried herself off and changed clothes, throwing her wet clothes into the sink and putting on the peach set of pajamas Kaname had left.

Yuki bent down and grabbed Claudia's arm, pulling it around her own shoulders so she could support most of the other girls' weight. They stood and slowly walked out of the bathroom and out of Kaname's room, into the hallway.

"Claudia, which room is yours?" Yuki asked, looking at her. Her head drooped and she looked utterly exhausted.

Claudia raised her arm and pointed to the one at the end of the hall.

Opening the door, Yuki helped Claudia into bed and tucked the covers around her. As she turned to leave, Claudia grabbed her sleeve, making Yuki look at her.

Claudia's eyes were barely open, but they were looking up at her. "Yuki…stay…please," she said quietly, exhaustion evident in her voice.

Blinking away the shock of hearing Claudia speak and momentarily wondering if it was due to her own exhaustion, Yuki smiled at her friend. "Of course. I'll stay as long as you need me to." She pulled back the blanket on the other side of the bed and slid in next to Claudia. As she watched the other girl succumb to sleep, she felt her own eyes close and was helpless to open them again.

Water was dripping off Kaname's coat and onto the carpet, but he had more important things on his mind than Kain Cross's expensive carpet as he eased Claudia's door open quietly. The corner of his mouth lifted up in the ghost of a grin at the sight before him.

Yuki and Claudia were fast asleep in the bed facing each other; Claudia in pastel pink pajamas, her hair fanning out behind her and Yuki in pastel yellow pajamas, grasping Claudia's hand gently in her own. Zero was sitting in the chair next to the bed, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. His uniform was rumpled, wet and muddy, and his head was tipped back against the chair, his hair dripping down his neck and the back of the chair. He too was fast asleep.

Kaname closed the door gently behind him and strode to his office. Takuma had returned.


	8. Alive or Dead?

Takuma was waiting for him when Kaname opened the door to his office. Kaname took off his greatcoat and hung it on the coat rack by the door, water still dripping onto Cross's expensive carpet.

Takuma bowed when Kaname entered. "Lord Kaname."

Kaname acknowledged the bow with a barely perceptible incline of his chin. He walked over to the window behind his desk and moved the curtain aside. The rain showed no sign of slowing. He turned back to Takuma.

"You were right, Lord Kaname," Takuma began, "My grandfather is up to something. I'm not completely certain what his end goal is, but I did come across plans to reanimate a member of the Kato family of Purebloods."

"Did you find out which member?" Kaname asked, his voice even.

"No, Lord Kaname. I don't believe my grandfather knows the location of the Kato family tomb," Takuma answered.

Kaname nodded. "Good work, Takuma. Continue keeping an eye on Ichijo for me."

"Yes, Lord Kaname," Takuma answered, bowing. He left Kaname in silence, closing the door gently behind him.

Kaname turned and stared out the window for a long moment before standing. He walked over and opened the door, grabbing his coat as he did so. It seemed his work for the night wasn't over yet.

Kaname didn't notice the pair of magenta eyes watching him from the forest as he left the Academy.

The Kato family bloodline was an old and powerful bloodline, older than even Kaname's. They had been the leading developers of weapons for the vampire society and were very secretive. Knowledge of the Kato family wasn't common knowledge; the family headquarters, the weapons lab and even their tomb was known to few vampires outside the family. So it stood to reason that Kaname would be a surprised to find the Kato family tomb destroyed.

He stood in front of the gaping hole in the ground, the enchanted rock doors that sealed the tomb were blown to pieces and lay scattered around him. The wind gusted around him and the rain fell sideways as Kaname clenched his jaw and stepped into the remains of the Kato family tomb.

The rain poured into the tomb, dripping down the steps and making them slippery. The enchantment that had been placed over the doors to the tomb was one that preserved the contents, so the tomb should have been relatively the same as it had been hundreds of years ago, when the last member of the Kato family died. Judging by the ankle-deep water that covered the floor and the overall decayed state of the tomb, it hadn't been desecrated recently.

Kaname walked farther into the tomb. There were only five sarcophagi present; that of Shun Kato, the founder of the Kato bloodline, his wife Yumi, their son Hiroshi and his wife, Kimiko, and their son, Hachirou. The Kato family had been brutally murdered in a fire that destroyed their mansion, as well as the weapons laboratory. Everyone in the mansion perished.

All five sarcophagi had been demolished. Obviously Ichijo hadn't been aware that the tomb was empty. Kaname stood, staring at the rubble of the sarcophagi. His outward appearance was calm, motionless, but his mind was whirring a mile a minute.

And then it stopped.

And Kaname ran.

The heavy mahogany doors banged against the frame in the storm. Kaname stood in front of the Kuran family mausoleum, fearing what he would find inside and his anger was growing by the second. Every muscle in his body was taught as he walked inside.

In the center of the mausoleum rested two ornate sarcophagi on a raised dais. He ignored the one inscribed _Kaname Kuran, founder of the Kuran family_. His full attention was on the sarcophagus next to it.

The lid had been smashed open, debris littering the floor around it and inside…inside it was empty.

Rage filled Kaname, rage he'd only felt once.

Lightning flashed, illuminating the inscription that was scattered in pieces.

 _Akira Kato Kuran._


End file.
